


Adwen's Tale

by forevertraveller



Series: ForeverTraveller Dragon Age Universe [2]
Category: Dragon Age (Video Games), Dragon Age - All Media Types, Dragon Age: Origins
Genre: City Elf (Dragon Age) Origin, Gen, Multi, Other, Other Additional Tags to Be Added, and references to vaughn committing violence and sexual assault, but i hope to write more about Sherida Tabris from her own and other presepctives, in later works, no detail will be described of this but it will be in the story as it is in the origin, so far the only violence is the cook being killed, this story will be from the point of view of Adwen a minor background character in the
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-10-19
Updated: 2020-10-19
Packaged: 2021-03-08 18:26:54
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,342
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/27111169
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/forevertraveller/pseuds/forevertraveller
Summary: Adwen of Denerim. Kitchen servant in the Arl of Denerim’s estate, often abused by the cook. Knocks the cook over the head (that shem had it coming) and promptly leaves the cousins Tabris to fight their way to Vaughn themselves. That's all we get of Adwen in the games. This story asks the bold questions: Who were his parents? What's his thoughts on working as a servant in a household with a brutal sadist in their midst, and an overall culture of abuse?And, what if he stuck it out at Soris and Sherida's side through at least part of the way through the castle? This Adwen is a little more obviously focused on helping the other servants, and making sure justice is finally served, but he will be about as useless in combat as you'd expect someone completely untrained to be.
Series: ForeverTraveller Dragon Age Universe [2]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1837408
Kudos: 1





	Adwen's Tale

Adwen of Denerim was born to parents who were both themselves servants in these same kitchens, in the Arl's estate. Just around when he turned ten, his mother Dahlia died of infection and fever after being scalded and not properly treated for her burns a month prior. His father Desmond died two years later in his sleep. No one could really tell him why. They all blamed it on grief, kept saying the man’s heart just gave out. Adwen felt like even the kindest of the other servants turned too quickly to gossip. 

He heard how this or that footman used to hear ol' Des crying in the stairways at night, how a maid claimed she overheard him confess his stoic front was for his young son's sake. Adwen had never realized his father was so distraught. It unsettled him, and he said so. Most would hug him and genuinely care how he was doing one minute, then obviously fish for new details to discuss the next. He never hated them for it, but never quite trusted again the same way after. 

On orders from the lady of the house, who upon learning of the situation was asked what was to be done with him, Adwen then became a ward of the cook. A particularly resentful, obsequious man and possibly the worst servant in the household to be given an elf boy to bring up. Adwen has known little else but scullery since. He trains himself in healing wounds and burns as best he can, in memory of Dahlia. He pushes past his distrust and makes sure to give kindness to any friend burdened by sorrow, in memory of Desmond. Despite this, he feels very alone.

He has been to the alienage many times, of course, but has never lived there. It is called a “benefit” of being a servant to a great family to stay in the servant's quarters, rather than in a hovel or on the streets. To be marginally better dressed and more regularly fed. Adwen has often wondered if it is more a curse, given what can happen to you if the master of your house, or his children, or even just one of his guests, is cruel. Which is worse, to be exposed out there or pinned down in here? 

While being free to walk out the (servant’s) door, he has not ever gotten the courage or the selfishness to leave for good and see for himself. He counts his scant blessings that he was not born a girl, as that is who their little arl's son, the cruellest of them all, abuses the most. Girls much more often than women. Those not even truly grown. It is sickening to Adwen. 

Sometimes, in secret, in quiet, without getting his head chopped off by the guards, he does something about it. He hides anyone targeted, tips all new hires off, puts together a few coins and bundles up some bread for the road and helps a girl leave, cleans and dresses the wounds of the ones they fail to protect who survive. It is this that he feels would make him selfish for getting himself out. Other servants certainly help just as he does, but it would be one fewer skilled and canny to the dangers of the place if he left. And the canny servants slip up and pay for it all the time, whether dismissed, jailed, or killed. 

What none of them has ever gotten themselves to do is just up and kill the bastard, and his friends. Sneak past the many guards, kill the ones at his door and unlock his room, stab him in his sleep. Probably find the rest of them passed out somewhere nearby. Or, more likely to work for someone of Adwen’s admittedly limited skill set, poison their wine. They have poison for rats, right there in the cupboard. And if he truly searched, found the right contacts, collected the coin for it between them all, perhaps they could find stronger stuff. He thinks on it often. Talks about it, even. Especially when he visits the alienage. Further from prying ears, and the crushing sense of disunity and despair.

Poison the wine, leave before it's even been served. But then how will he know the deed has been done, the poison drunk and not countered by some physician or visiting mage? Adwen would have to stay to know, and then likely be hauled off to die, along with whoever else they force confessions from among the staff. Even if he left, they would certainly kill some servant, if not many, for the so-called crime. Could he let them die for his act, particularly if he might not even render their targets truly dead? Could they all work together, stay true, and all leave at once with the poisoning set in motion? He hasn’t decided. 

What makes everything more difficult is that not all his fellow servants are loyal to each other. Some sold on the idea that no matter how horrible, their lot in life is as the Maker wishes it. That they should pray, and never act too boldly, for deliverance. Others because somebody, somewhere, has something over them. Worse, people change. Those he talks a little too loosely to today, could be a convert or a debtor tomorrow. It makes it near impossible to plan anything approaching true treason, let alone open insurrection. He found that out the hard way, and paid for it. It was only that he was then still a child and pitted for being an orphan, that he didn't get worse.

And so he waits, his spirit draining out uselessly in a life full of abuse and rumination. 

Then, one day, one of the Tabris women comes barrelling into the larder, in a blood-soaked dress with bits of guardsman kit slapped on and brandishing a sword. The young man stumbling behind her seems less a threat, a lesser-trained cousin, Soris, he thinks. Met him last Saturnalia. He has no idea why they are here. But the sight of the both of them, armed, furious, and standing shoulder to shoulder, gives him hope. More hope than he’s had in years. 

Moving as though he were underwater, as though he were in a dream, Adwen slowly walks over to where cook is bent over the produce, picking out cabbages. He picks up a mallet from the table. And brings it down right over the man’s head. The bastard goes down hard, and stays down, just another sack on the pile. Adwen thinks he may have killed him. 

He turns to face the two Tabris warriors, stock-still and watching him from the doorway. “You’ve no idea how long that shem had it coming.” He hears himself say, much calmer than he feels. 

The dark-haired woman, Sherida, he places her name, not Shianni, strides forward to pick up a cleaver off the table and offers it to him. Another weapon. An opportunity. He takes it, but with a sinking feeling knows he cannot be there to watch the life leave Vaughan’s eyes. He knows more like than not he will ultimately undermine his allies as they see to his defence. 

“I will guide you as far as I can...” his throat feels scraped raw, his voice tight. He realizes now he is on the verge of tears. He takes a deep breath. “As far as I can. I know the castle well. But I am no warrior. As we move I need to gather the other servants. Once enough are found, we must leave you, must get out before the storm hits.” 

Giving him a silent nod, Sherida turns to the door, to start the first of however many fights he may not survive. Before she opens it, he has to know, he can’t die not knowing… 

And so he cuts in, “You are going to kill him – kill Vaughan.” 

She doesn’t turn to face him. Her reply is soft and low, but a snarl all the same, “Yes.”

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**Author's Note:**

> So that's that. If you get ideas for anything related to this story, I will be happy to hear them in comments. To put in OCs you may suggest that fit the setting/story, highlight another canon background character, or whatever else. Writing advice or criticism is also welcome.
> 
> One interesting thing is all of this business with servant's quarters, servants being kept quiet and out of sight, and none or next to none of them having any familial relation to the ruling/main household is apparently a very 17th/18th century thing. Before that, everything was different. Just another way Dragon Age nobility/social politics is much more "modern" than the castles and knights and seeming lack of Chantry-version-of-Protestantism would suggest.
> 
> Unless someone can tell me otherwise, I assume Shianni and Soris are both cousins to Sherida by way of being Adaia's kin's children. And therefore in the Tabris family, and known for it. Maybe I will decide they're first cousins, or second, third, etc.
> 
> I view the keeping of a surname like Tabris as potentially both a way of remembering a famous lineage, and a statement to keep up certain duties or virtues that are associated with that lineage. Specifically, passing on martial training and a sense of responsibility for defending the alienage. 
> 
> As with any family lineage, just because a kid is born or adopted into it doesn't mean they take to it, but they all are exposed to the ethos of it. Based on how bad things have gotten, and that one little girl in the alienage who says she doesn't know any "elven heroes" (despite Garahel and Isseya existing r.i.p.), I am also imagining the Tabris alienage-warrior clan has been waning in numbers of those committed to carrying on more than just the name, or in the strength of training, or both, for some time before the start of DA:O.


End file.
